All the candidates have for the first time published websites in an attempt to reach out to county residents who, according to Surrey County Council, have the highest internet take-up in the country with up to 70% having access to the web.

Speeches, political platforms and biographies of candidates have all been made accessible in an attempt to draw supporters to each party. The Parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives and sitting Guildford MP, Nick St Aubyn, has included in his website links to the Guildford Anti-Incinerator Network and to Hansard, where voters can find a record of his speeches in Parliament. Visitors to the site can also pledge support.

Mr St Aubyn said: "It will be a very powerful tool, if not in this election then in subsequent ones. "The internet and digital television will strengthen the role of the MP and make them more accountable to their constituents." A demand for greater funding for the NHS is the main feature of the parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, Sue Doughty's site. Also included is her Care for the Elderly Campaign in Guildford and a condemnation of the Stoughton School closure.

Mrs Doughty said: "I think the internet is important as it gives people the opportunity to see what I have been saying on things - increasingly, you cannot take people seriously unless they have a website."

The Labour Party website includes claims and figures about how Guildford residents have gained from national initiatives. The Guildford site includes a biography of the prospective parliamentary candidate, Joyce Still, a Guildford manifesto and information on the incinerator campaign. Mrs Still said: "I have been using the internet a lot - especially e-mail. I do not know how I would have managed without it. People are more in tune with tune and can get all the points at a flash."

Both the smaller parties have both gained from the internet. With less resources than the main parties, low cost publicity is crucial. The UK Independence Party and the Pacifists have both launched web pages.

Sonya Porter, who is standing for UKIP in Guildford, said: "It is very useful and gives people direct access to information about the party and the candidates." The Pacifist candidate, John Morris, said: "I hope it will be a valuable tool to enable more people to find out about us."